Vol. 105 Issue 127
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Thursday, March 5, 2015
Seniors disappointed in final home game Jeremy Tepper Staff Writer In Pitt’s final home game of the year, the team honored three seniors before facing off against the Miami Hurricanes. It was a sophomore, however, who spearheaded Pitt’s offense, as Michael Young collected 22 points off of 9-13 shooting. Young’s effort couldn’t carry the team, as the Hurricanes defeated the Panthers 67-63, improving to 19-11 and dropping Pitt to 19-12, all but eliminating the host from making the NCAA Tournament. Now, Pitt will likely need a deep ACC Tournament run to keep its hopes alive. “[It’s] very tough,” Young said. “We
Men’s basketball
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Joey Sadecky, an economics major, sinks one in the corner pocket. Christine Lim | Staff Photographer
Students lobby for affordable tuition Lauren Wilson Staff Writer After sitting through an unexpected six-hour-long bus ride to the state Capitol Building, Pitt advocates had to be quick on their feet as they pushed for more commonwealth education funding. Two coach buses full of students, administrators and alumni took Wednesday off for Pitt Day in Harrisburg, an annual event that allows members of the Pitt community to lobby state representatives for funding. Originally expected to arrive in Harrisburg at 10:30 a.m., the buses from Pitt hit traffic and
pulled up at about 1 p.m. following the traffic-ridden trip. Traffic aside, the students who participated were curious to learn how Gov. Tom Wolf ’s new budget plan would affect funding for higher education. In his 2015-2016 budget proposal, Wolf plans to spend 5.5 percent, or $1.64 billion, of the $29.9 billion General Fund Expenditures on higher education. This proposal marks an increase from the 2014-2015 budget, which doled out $894,183,700 to higher education. For this year, Wolf proposed a 10.9 percent increase in funding from last year for Pitt. Last year, Pitt received
$136,293,000, according to Wolf ’s budget. Roc the Panther greeted students and alumni as they finally entered the snow-covered Capitol Building. On the now-abbreviated agenda: lunch, followed by guided tours through the building. Chancellor Patrick Gallagher addressed an assembly of attending students, Pitt faculty and representatives at 3 p.m. to thank representatives before returning to the buses at 3:30 p.m. for the trip back to Pitt. According to Google Maps, the trip
Harrisburg
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Senior Cam Wright scored 11 points against Miami.Theo Schwarz | Visual Editor
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March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
Board members plan mental health awareness initiative Abbey Reighard Assistant News Editor Two Student Government Board members are preparing a mental health partnership with the Jed and Clinton Health Matter Campus Program. Board members Meghan Murphy and Matt Sykes said once Pitt administrators approve the partnership, the Board will contact the Program and collaborate to survey Pitt students on mental health awareness and resources on campus. After the survey results are in, members of the foundation will analyze the data and, based on the survey results, decide on a Pitt-specific initiative to improve mental health on campus, according to Sykes. According to the Jed and Clinton Health Matter Campus Program’s framework, the Program works to help colleges and universities promote emotional well-being and mental health programming. Upon approval by administrators, including interim Dean of Students Kenyon
Bonner, Pitt’s partnership with the foundation would last two years. Sykes said he expects administrators to approve the partnership in the next few weeks. Murphy and Sykes shared mental health initiatives while campaigning for Board positions in November. During the Board’s annual weekend retreat in January, Murphy and Sykes began discussing a mental health initiative that they could work on together. “We realized that we share this same passion, so we teamed up,” Murphy said. Sykes added that the method for distributing the survey is “still in the works.” Murphy said the Board hopes to host a mental health awareness event on campus before the end of the semester, but said she does not yet have any concrete plans for the event. “The overall goal is really to rid the [mental health] stigma on campus and make this a safe place and a welcome place for students,” Murphy said. Allocations:
Pitt PanthEARS requested $1,979.96 to send four people to the AudiologyNow! 2015 conference in San Antonio, Texas. The Board approved $1,819 and denied $160 in line with the allocations recommendation. Men’s Ultimate Frisbee requested $2,315.03 to send 25 people to the Stanford Invite tournament. The Board approved in full in line with the allocations recommendation. Pittch Please requested $1,614.84 for its East Coast tour competitions in Philadelphia and Baltimore. The Board approved $193, despite the allocations recommendation to deny in full, because the event will take place over spring break. According to the Allocations Manual, the committee cannot approve for spring break travel “unless it is required.” The Board approved for part of the request because the dates of the competitions are out of the group’s control. Pre-Med Organization for Minority Students requested $2,424.10 to attend
the annual Medical Education Conference. The Board approved $1,999.40 and denied $424.70 in line with the allocations recommendation. South Asian Student Association requested $2,985.48 for the group’s annual SASA Show. The Board approved $2,435.68 and denied $549.80. The Board decided not to fund for non-reusable decorations. SGB President Graeme Meyer said the Board will instead look into purchasing items, such as tablecloths, that all student groups can use for their own events.
March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 1
HARRISBURG from the Cathedral of Learning to the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building should have taken about three-and-ahalf hours in normal traffic conditions. Brendan Gambrell, a junior social work major interested in education, said he was excited to learn how the legislature spends money on schools, from elementary to higher education. “I want to get an insightful look into how our political process works,” he said. Jackie Madison, a senior social work major, was looking forward to the governmental career panel, held at 2 p.m., where student could pose questions about starting a career in government. “I’m interested in community organization, so I want to make as many contacts as I can now,” Madison said. The building is a marble maze, proving tough to navigate for visitors. Four students were late to a meeting with Senator Jay Costa’s policy director, Stephen Bruder, claiming they had gotten lost. Despite the confusion and lost time, Madison still got to ask questions and propose an idea to Costa’s Deputy Chief Counsel, Ronald Jumper. “I think we should be investing in the idea of student resources of energy, time and skills to motivate businesses in exchange for tuition reimbursement,” Madison said. Jumper said he would call the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce on Madison’s behalf, and would continue to help her if other students were interested. “[Today is] great because we can make the changes we are learning about in school,” Madison said. Inclement weather and a cancelled session also led to some representatives’ early takeoffs, according to the office of Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny. Frankel was not in his office, but the executive director of his office, Gabe Spece, spoke of Frankel’s education initiatives. “[Frankel] supports grant money
for students who use the [Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency], which helps with school loans so that students can afford college,” Spece said. “Student tuition debt is crushing.” The offices of both Costa and Frankel said bipartisan cooperation on the state budget is difficult. According to Spece, Frankel’s office remains unsure of how other representatives will receive Wolf ’s new budget, and Frankel is “not ready” to speak out on the issue yet.
As Pitt is a state-related school, rather than a state-system school, it receives less money than other Pennsylvania colleges and universities. Other state-related schools include Penn State, Temple and Lincoln, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s website. “[Frankel] would say we have to restore those cuts, and the way we have to do that is to be stewards of education funding,” Spece said. “We have to understand that we need the money to
3 pay for it. That means having to look at those tax raises.” The Pitt Alumni Association organized the event in partnership with the Office of Community and Governmental Relations. Steve Anderson, associate dean of students and director of residence life, said Pitt Day in Harrisburg was successful despite the “mini-adventure” of traffic delays. “Students got to have their voices heard,” he said.
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March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
EDITORIAL
OPINIONS COLUMN
If you want it, ask for it The word “lobbyist” can carry a foul connotation. But how about when it’s applied to your own University? On Wednesday, Pitt students, staff and faculty visited Harrisburg, Pa., to lobby state legislators to increase funding and support for the University. Pitt currently has the unfortunate honor of being number one —that is, on the list of the most expensive universities in the country for in-state tuition. Rather than bitterly blogging or complaining about government or University policy, Pitt students shuttling to Harrisburg and back in one day to advocate for greater state funding benefits the University. The visit urges students to offer solutions, work with those with whom they may not agree and practice reaching out to their representatives at Pitt and in Pennsylvania. When eagerly looking to place blame, remember that Harrisburg is not the sole cause of Pitt’s tuition increase. State legislators and officials allocate limited resources, and therefore have to make
difficult decisions that do not always go in our favor. However, Pitt and Harrisburg must work together to lose the University’s title of most expensive non-private school in the country. Tuition costs at Pitt have consistently increased since the 19971998 school year, according to the University’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer. The Pitt community must work with state leaders to devise practical approaches to keeping tuition low and education quality high . Such progress can only happen when parties meet, in person, to work toward a common goal. Pitt Day in Harrisburg’s greatest value is teaching students to actively engage their leaders. We urge all students to continue their efforts and proactively lobby, not only on a designated day but also yearround. Pitt Day in Harrisburg matters, but so does every other day. Get out of bed, get off the computer and productively and respectfully work with your leaders to allow Pitt and our community to thrive for many years to come.
High drinking age stunts students’ maturity rate Bethel Habte Columnist
With spring break rapidly approaching, I’m going to tell you a little secret: College students drink. Oftentimes, a lot. What’s more, they do it illegally. The national drinking age is an interesting anomaly, something we’ve long accepted begrudgingly without a second thought. After all, it does give us something to celebrate after turning 18 proves to be a bleak passage into adulthood. But if you really think about it, there’s a strong case to be made for lowering the national drinking age to 18. Making risky behaviors illegal will make our “rite of passage” risk-taking all the more risky. If students are afraid of being caught, they are less likely to help out in dangerous situations like alcohol poisoning. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, four out of five college students drink alcohol. According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, almost half of all college drinking is done by those underage. Consider this: If underage drinking was legal, then students would not look to alcohol as such a valued commodity. Thus, drinking wouldn’t be as adventurous and wild of an endeavor. Rather, it would be something anyone with
some money and an ID could do. College students could then, ideally, live out their fascination with alcohol in a comparatively safer setting. A study undertaken by the National Advisory Council on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism looked into the different factors that produce the phenomenon of drinking in college. This study ties drinking in college to the developmental process, elevated drinking levels associated with the college stage of life and pre-existing drinking problems.
demographic changes have led adolescents to enter a phase in their lives during which they are eager to “find themselves,” but unwilling to fully take on the responsibilities typically expected of adulthood. Could you blame them if the State doesn’t even consider them mature enough to legally enjoy a beer or glass of wine? I have little doubt that delayed access to alcohol plays a part in that trend. Because adolescents enter such a novel lifestyle later, they postpone other hallmark responsibilities of adulthood, leading to what has been critiqued as millennial deviance and coined “delayed adulthood.” When you consider adulthood in the U.S., it is, in every sense but the legal right to drink, marked by turning 18. That makes a national drinking age of 21 quite ironic. Essentially, adolescents are told that, in the eyes of the law, they are fit to take on full responsibility for all aspects of their lives and considered productive members of society. Yet, they are deemed too irresponsible to take on the responsibilities that come along with drinking. Regardless of the points above, it seems unlikely that any legislative action will be taken to change the national drinking age. Those who oppose lowering the drink-
The national drinking age is an interesting anomaly, something we’ve long accepted begrudgingly without a second thought. However, it also notes the significance of the college atmosphere. This includes the pairing of those who can legally drink with those who cannot, heightened alcohol advertising to college students and vast periods of unstructured time away from the supervision of parents. College students see drinking as an exciting and necessary aspect of college life, and often enter college with that assumption in mind. A relatively new developmental theory proposed by Jeffrey Arnett of The University of Maryland College Park has marked the years between 18 and 25 as a period of “emerging adulthood.” In a sense,
Habte
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March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 4
HABTE ing age often argue that doing so would raise the risk of drunken driving, but this argument does not address the dangers of binge drinking and the reckless behavior associated with alcohol. As Brown University anthropologist Dwight B. Heath notes, “In general, the younger people start to drink the safer
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they are.” Heath, who has written extensively on the topic, is not advocating for young people to get drunk at an even earlier age. Rather, he recognizes that if alcohol lost its taboo and parents could more openly educate their children about proper alcohol consumption, fewer high school and college students would feel the need to indulge in what would be an already familiar commodity. It might be interesting to note, then, that there is no outright national ban on underage drinking. However, the National
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Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 effectively enacted a national drinking age of 21 when it threatened to punish states by cutting annual federal highway apportionment for allowing persons under 21 to purchase and possess alcohol. States enacted the outright bans themselves, which accounts for the variations in legality when it comes to underage drinking across the nation. What this means is that individual states control the legality of drinking. They could certainly choose to lower the
drinking age to 18, as long as they were willing to receive a cut of up to 10 percent in their federal highway apportionment funding, approximately 2.5 billion that is relegated nationally. At the end of the day, I think it would be in their best interest to do so. Let’s just remember, after all, that college students drink. Bethel primarily writes about social issues and current events for The Pitt News. Write Bethel at beh56@pitt.edu.
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March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT Wilson’s oneman-show makes its Pittsburgh debut Danah Bialoruski Staff Writer It’s taken 12 years, but August Wilson’s first one-man show, “How I Learned What I Learned,” will finally run in the same city where the story takes place. “How I Learned What I Learned” is one of Wilson’s final plays, which originally debuted in Seattle in 2003. Wilson, one of America’s most esteemed playwrights and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Eugene Lee stands in for August Wilson in “How I Learned.” Photo credit to Josh Lamkin Photography performed “How I Learned” as a sort of one-man his first apartment and jumping from job to job, cess of thinking was through personal insentiences,” memoir. Wilson passed away in 2005, but the show which ranged from mowing lawns to washing dishes Kreidler said. goes on and runs from March 5 to April 5 at the at Klein’s and Kroger’s, a now-defunct restaurant Given Kreidler and Wilson’s Pittsburgh ties — O’Reilly Theater, located Downtown on Penn Avenue. downtown. both grew up in the city, and nine of Wilson’s 10 faTickets start at $23, but for students and anyone Director and close friend of Wilson, Todd Kreidler, mous Pittsburgh Cycle plays are based there — local under the age of 26, tickets are just $15.75. finds that Wilson’s words give an in-depth look at his audiences might connect with the play on a different The one-man play focuses on Wilson’s life grow- thought process. level than audiences from other parts of the country. ing up in the Hill District during his early 20s in the “It’s the kind of intimacy that delivers how he 1960s. Wilson paints a comedic picture of renting thinks and how he approaches life and what his proWilson 8
ʻPower/Rangersʼ: Or (The unexpected virtue of expectations) Marcus Ranii-Dropcho For The Pitt News Surprise entertainment releases can provide a needed deviation from mundane routine — and set the Internet ablaze. So, it’s not surprising that the spontaneous release of a gritty “Power Rangers” remake garnered more than 12 million views on YouTube in just one week. In short, the 14-minute film entitled “Power/Rangers” details the imagined alternate reality that the Power Rangers universe could have become if the teenage Rangers had lost to the Machine Empire, the villainous robotic forces from the original series that
aired on Fox Kids. The Rangers’ loss leaves the teens trying to reconcile their involvement in a losing fight. They have to adjust to life as teen-
often subject to failure because audiences and critics expect them to meet or exceed an established standard. With higher budgets and box office
“Power/Rangers” doesn’t hinge on expectations, but it exceeds any preconceptions anyway. agers under adult subjugation in the dystopian machine-dominated world. Unlike spontaneous works like “Power/Rangers” that materialize without warning, feature films are
expectations, the entertainment world sets much higher standards for their success. Part of the success of “Power/ Rangers” comes from its dark under-
pinnings, which trace back to iconic works from producer Adi Shankar. Shankar forged his own success by producing grim crime dramas and adventure films such as “Dredd,” “Killing Them Softly” and “The Grey.” His knack for stylized violence and painting dystopian worlds creates the perfect backdrop for his production in “Power/Rangers.” Famed music video and independent film director Joseph Kahn released the link for his and Shankar’s collaboration at midnight on Feb. 24, and Kahn’s legions of followers and fans continued to elevate it into the
Power Rangers
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March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com FROM PAGE 6
POWER RANGERS upper echelon of trending topics on the web. With no anticipation preceding its release, the film’s viral success literally began overnight. By the end of its first day, “Power/Rangers” had garnered over 4.5 million views. We can attribute much of that initial success to the lack of expectation from viewers upon the film’s release. Kahn veiled the time and labor until the film reached its final form. The only initial expectations come, then, from the original “for kids” Power Rangers series that still air on channels like Nickelodeon and Toon Disney. For fans of the original “Power Rangers ,” the short film’s references and homage to it are masterful. The
recounting of the Rangers’ post-war lives is both detailed and reminiscent of their past character arcs. The most thoughtful story involves Rocky — a replacement for the original Red Ranger — who becomes an agent of the Machine Empire. His renunciation of the Ranger credo is mocked by Kimberly, an original Ranger, who scorns, “You were never really one of us.” In contrast to “Power/Rangers,” some recent blockbusters couldn’t live up to their high-stakes marketing campaigns — take “Edge of Tomorrow,” the third most expensive film of 2014 at $175 million, for example. In terms of domestic sales, the film only grossed a little more than $100 million in its time at the box office — a resounding box office failure — despite earning critical acclaim.
Don’t get me wrong — “Edge of Tomorrow” looked exceptional. But for audiences that saw the stunning CGI models from 2013’s “Pacific Rim,” sleekly animated aliens were not anything revelatory. From the trailers, we could expect that “Edge” would hinge on a time paradox in which dying allowed the protagonist to repeat the same day again and again. The expectation then, from the trailers and the posters, was that “Edge of Tomorrow” would incorporate time paradox philosophy, action sequences, a love story and a mission to save planet Earth packed smartly into more than a generic summer blockbuster. Unfortunately, the film lacked philosophy more thought-provoking than its inspiration, “Groundhog Day.” An-
7 other 2014 actioner, “Godzilla,” outclassed its action sequences, while the narrative was derailed by vapid dialogue in the second half and a predictable happily-ever-after ending. “Power/Rangers” doesn’t hinge on expectations, but it exceeds any preconceptions anyway. With the film’s positive reception, it will be interesting to see whether or not other directors take Shankar and Kahn’s film as a precedent. Perhaps major studios might limit promotion of their films to curb audience expectation and incite a sense of mystery prior to their release. Perhaps it won’t be long before we see many of our childhood shows redone in grim, mature remakes. Think about it — how cool would a gritty “Hey Arnold!” be?
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WILSON “I think we can expect a kindred audience and not a hostile audience,” Eugene Lee, who plays August Wilson, said. “I think they will bring a set of expectations.” According to Lee, one of Wilson’s main goals was to shed light on the black experience through theater, which has allowed for plenty of strong roles for African-
March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com American actors. “I see so many parallels with my own journey in this, so that’s really comforting to know, and it’s really encouraging to me and inspiring to me in a lot of ways,” Lee said. “We’ve talked about some of the things that are similar moments in my life, like teachers accusing you for not having written this paper.” When directing the play, Kreidler didn’t want to completely imitate the way Wilson had performed the play in the past. “I’ve been the recipient of these sto-
ries, and I’ve had two challenges — the first being that August did it originally himself 12 years ago. So it was kind of magnifying those experiences that I had out there,” Kreidler said. “And now doing it with Eugene is another layer. So now you have to distill it, and it becomes about another storytelling.” Lee also found it challenging to avoid imitation. “This is the highest standard. It’s a higher literary standard in terms of storytelling and the language being so height-
ened,” Lee said. “And that’s the challenge to bring clarity and truth to this wonderful storytelling.” Christopher Rawson, a literature professor currently teaching a class on Wilson’s work at Pitt, said that Wilson fans are eager to see “How I Learned” return to his home. Rawson has also extensively reviewed Wilson’s work in the Post-Gazette, and he’s written more about Wilson than any other journalist in the country. Rawson discussed the literature course with Wilson in 2004, but Rawson told him that he’d been waiting for other departments, like the theater department or Africana studies department, to pick up the course. Because no other department picked it up , Rawson agreed to teach it once Wilson completed writing his 10th and final play. The pair had agreed to go over the Cycle and study it with plans for Wilson to visit Rawson’s class once it began. But doctors suddenly diagnosed Wilson with liver cancer in June 2005, and he passed away before the course began in January 2006. According to Rawson, Wilson’s works illuminate the history of the black experience to students of all backgrounds. “They are having the experience of saturating themselves in this extraordinary talent, this extraordinary picture of culture that my white students don’t know much about,” Rawson said. “Even the black students are being taken back 50 years from the world that they live in.” Sara Williams, a Point Park junior and a student in Rawson’s Wilson class, said that the class provides a revealing history of the neighborhood in which she grew up. “It is a fantastic opportunity to learn about my heritage — especially being from Pittsburgh and living in the Hill District,” Williams said. Kreidler finds “How I Learned What I Learned” to be a work that allows people to relate to and reflect on many parts of their life. “There’s not an aspect of your life that is not touched by his work, whether it be attitudes to sex to money to hate to love,” Kreidler said. “So to get at those layers, he’s taking a wide breadth of American culture and European culture and music and he’s sort of downloading all of these things and performing them through his instrument and you get to experience that.”
March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
FROM PAGE 1
BASKETBALL knew we had to win these last two games to make the tournament and give us our best chance, and we let another one go.” A sophomore also led Miami’s scoring, as guard Davon Reed collected 19 points off of 7-of-8 shooting. Miami was both the first and last to strike, going on a 7-0 run in the first three minutes of the game. Reed scored five of those points, hitting a 3-point shot and converting a layup. Pitt struck back, starting with a 3-pointer by junior guard James Robinson, assisted by sophomore forward Jamel Artis. After Pitt took a 33-29 halftime lead, spurred by Young’s eight first-half points, Miami eventually regained the lead. Sophomore guard Manu Lecomte, who started in place of injured senior point guard Angel Rodriguez, knocked down a corner three. Miami continued its attack in the form of a jumper by the team’s leading scorer, junior guard Sheldon McClellan, who finished with 20 points in the game. McClellan was questionable to play due to a groin injury. McClellan said his groin felt fine during pregame shootaround, though it quickly tightened up after. With the help of Miami’s trainer, some stretching and a heat pad, McClellan made the decision to play through the injury. “I wasn’t going to play at first, but I told my team I had to play through it because of the situation we’re in,” McClellan said. Giving up tip ins and offensive rebounds hurt the Panthers, as Miami collected 13 offensive boards and outrebounded Pitt 33-30. Pitt head coach Jamie Dixon mainly pointed to this rebounding for his team’s defeat. “We’ve got to win the rebounding, we didn’t. We’ve got to defend better, get more free throws than our opponents,” Dixon said. Losing on the boards hurt even more for Dixon, knowing the lineup Miami used. “You have four guards out there and you’re getting beat on the glass. That can’t happen,” he said. For the remainder of the game, Pitt and Miami went back and forth, as Young and sophomore forward Sheldon Jeter did their part to tie the game twice after McClellan’s jumper. But after Jeter made a layup to tie the score at 51, Pitt went in a scoring drought of
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SPORTS
Final time out
Three Pitt seniors played their final games at the Petersen Events Center on Wednesday. While the team lost, each had spotlight moments earlier this season. Here are the best performances of the season for each of the seniors. Derrick Randall all 11/22/14 Opponent: Chaminade 11 Points 21 Rebs Cameron Wright C ht 1/17/15 5 Opponent: nt: Georgia Tech ch 20 Points ts Cam Wright, Aron Phillips-Nwankwo and Derrick Randall played their last 2 Rebs bs
Aron Phillips-Nwonkwo Ar 1/14/15 Opponent: Florida State 7 Points 2 Rebs
home games Wednesday. Heather Ten-
nant, Nate Smith and Theo Schwarz | The Pitt News staff
two and half minutes, which proved costly later on. With just four made free throws and a tip in from junior center Tonye Jekiri, the Hurricanes were up 57-53 with 4:06 remaining. Free throws were a big boon to Miami, as they shot 15 of 18 from the line. Pitt shot 7 of 8. It wasn’t a coincidence that Miami had success getting to the hoop and, evidently, getting to the foul line. In practices leading up to the game, Miami’s coach Jim Larranaga told his players to focus on limiting dribble moves to get to the hoop. The better alternatives, he stressed, are straight line drives. “We showed them a highlight tape of [Julius Erving] and Kevin Durant. And I asked
them how many dribbles it took for them to score at the rim, and it was one,” Larranaga said. “The move is speed and quickness by the guy who’s guarding. You’re faster moving forward then he is moving sideways.” After strong play early on, Pitt found itself trailing late, similar to its previous game against Wake Forest. “This is our second game [in a row] we played good on both ends of the court for the majority of the game and at the end of the game kind of let up,” senior guard Cameron Wright said. Despite Pitt pulling the score within one after an Artis three, McClellan answered with a 3-point shot of his own.
Pitt battled back once more, as Jeter hit a corner three to bring the score to 64-61. After Jeter stole the ball off an inbound pass, Artis had a chance to tie it with an open three. The shot, though, would not fall, and Pitt lost the game. The Panthers wrap up their regular season on Saturday at Florida State, before traveling to Greensboro, N.C., for the ACC Tournament. Though the loss hurts, Wright said he and his teammates need to quickly get focused on their next game. “We’re not hanging our heads,” Wright said. “It’s gonna be tough to sleep tonight, but once midnight comes we got to focus on Florida State.”
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March 5, 2015 | The Pitt News | www.pittnews.com
COLUMN
Fans cannot defend the NBA’s lack of defense Alex Wise Staff Writer
I do not like the NBA — at all. I’d rather watch paint dry or grass grow or any other clichéd, boring thing you can think of than watch professional basketball. Basketball’s competitive nature makes it one of the most popular sports, as it highlights individual performance and one-on-one dominance. How, then, can a collection of the world’s best athletes be so non-competitive? How have we let the NBA become more of an entertainment industry than a sport? How could anybody take such a beautiful game and make it entirely one-dimensional? If you need me to say it explicitly, I will: there is no defense in the NBA. Showing me a video of a do-or-die possession with eight seconds left of a playoff game doesn’t constitute an argument that defense exists. I’d work my butt off for eight seconds, too, if my playoff bonus was on the
line. The majority of plays in the NBA consist of one pass before a one-on-one situation ending with a shot. Of the 30 teams in the NBA, 14 average more than 100 points per game. The top five scoring teams in the league – the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors – score more than 100 per game while also giving up more than 100 points per game. These teams are only five of the 13 NBA teams that surrender a triple-digit average. Is this due solely to the fact that NBA players are lazy on the court? Absolutely not. The rules of the game at that level set up for a high-scoring affair every time out. A 24-second shot clock doesn’t provide adequate time to set up and run a legitimate offense, which explains the single-pass-and-shoot strategy that so many teams employ. To counteract the interjection that usually happens around this point in my argument – “dude, I don’t think you understand
how good these guys really are” – yes, I do understand how good these guys really are. Their skill and athleticism are unmatched anywhere around the world, and it’s a damn shame to see their talents go to waste when eight of them stand outside the 3-point line and watch their teammates go one-on-one as some cheesy stadium rock song plays in the background. What’s worse? The NBA’s all-offense format is beginning to trickle down to the college level. Last year the NCAA instructed its officials to enforce seldom-called rules, including those pertaining to hand checks. These are soft fouls. Nonsense. But these fouls put teams in the bonus more quickly, providing opportunities to score without running off any clock. A few months into the season, the NCAA issued a statement describing how pleased it was with the new rules because scoring was up. But why did scoring need to be up? And what is the need to experiment with
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a 30-second shot clock in preseason play, instead of the usual 35-second clock? College basketball is incredible for a number of reasons. Game atmospheres, even during the regular season, are superior to perhaps any other sport. The competition is intense because every game matters. Most importantly, college basketball is a team sport, played as a unit at both ends of the floor. Who wants to ruin this intensity and passion? Those of you who love the NBA and insist that defense exists probably won’t change your mind. I don’t even know the purpose of writing this. I just needed to get it off my chest, I guess. But there are still things any fan or NBA nemesis can agree on. For example, searching Google Images for “James Harden no beard” is the best thing ever, defense or no defense. Now that I’ve already tackled one universal league issue, join me next week, where we’ll finally put an end to the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan argument. That was a lie. I’m not doing that.
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